a Mas

think;

could even process the blast r

ac

's cheek didn't just echo; it severed the

s violent. And God

er face, her eyes wide with a mi

ut. The chatter

rom the crowd as if su

s broad back to Kacie,

in his gaze. A silen

bm

apped bird desperate for flight. I knew Kac

t prickle along th

ced cheer trying desperately to salvage the mood. "Please, turn your atten

d, plunging us i

s holding. A distraction. Good. Anyth

ng by a marble pillar. She gave me

een behind the stag

ron's business conquests. No sep

s a b

bed

rned to ice

rainy, washed in night-vision

was

ht fetal ball, wearing nothing but a silk sh

despair I remembered from months ago-

he camera

ate. It was invasive

sped as one col

me like boiling water, scal

ove. I could

ed at

ted

that felt like it could

was punishing me for the slap, st

vulnerability projected twenty feet hi

someone shouted

reen didn'

ows, a small, cruel smi

ecuted. Public

move

shape blur

n't Ca

yguard. A giant of

mote. He didn't waste tim

ge with terrifying agil

he metal snapping into place,

as

red. Sparks showered

again.

, leaving only the smell of

followed was he

on their feet, shouting

elled nervously, his laugh dying

My voice was raw, unrec

hand gripped mine so hard her na

e looked like a goddess of

announced, her voice cutting through the chao

eyes landing on the tech

o a deadly whisper that somehow carried to every corner of

ed at

pale, drained

he broken scre

ked te

e, he wasn't the scar